


Refuge

by earthphoenix (roughknuckles)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Azkaban, Comfort, M/M, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-06-03
Updated: 2006-06-03
Packaged: 2018-02-11 14:51:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2072388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roughknuckles/pseuds/earthphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus had been imprisoned in Azkaban after the fall of the Dark Lord. And it is where he would spend the rest of his life, rotting away, body and soul, until someone comes to his rescue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Refuge

Severus Snape had no willpower, no strength, no voice. Math and science was the young man's only link to sanity. _I am in a cube. A cube, a platonic solid composed of six square faces, with three meeting at each vertex_. His fingers traced between the cracks in the stonework of his cell. Time was too infinite to be explainable, Severus had no idea how long it had been since his capture, his and the other death eaters, since the dark lord fell. But since then, he had become obsolete, he had nothing left to offer … what use was a spy if the enemy was gone? He would rot like the rest. _Alone._

Bellatrix Lestrange could still be heard screaming, ranting and raving of her devotions to the dark lord. Bellatrix had her propaganda and rhetoric to get her through, but Severus had nothing. Not even a single happy memory. He should have fought harder, made Mad-Eye kill him on sight rather than take him prisoner.

Footsteps sounded down the hall, the key-keeper was coming. Prisoners shouted at the man, some retreated as the short, portly man stopped in front of Severus's cell and opened the door. A large hand reached in and took the spy out by the nape of his neck, dragging him down the stone hallway like a rag doll.

Severus's nose was still crusted with blood from god knows how long ago, there was no fight in him, not anymore, _please, please, please …_ His lips were barely able to form the words, "… pl … ease."

Without another word the key keeper opened a large door and threw the prisoner inside. It was dark in there, but clean, and lit with only two candles, a figure stood in the corner, cloaked, watching Severus; quiet either from awe or disgust.

Upon being thrown, Severus rolled across the floor before hitting his head, hair clinging to his face as though it were frightened too. He didn't get up, just lifted his head, back protesting at the effort. His eyes focused on the candles, the only source of light he'd seen in … there it was, that concept of time again. Light. But to the prisoner, it was heavenly. 

There was no movement in the room for a long, long moment until the cloaked figure moved towards Severus, crouching near him, "Severus ... "

Severus's thin fingers covered the back of his head, tucking his face under, for a man who wanted to die, he didn't want to be hurt.

A male voice, very soft continued and two human, warm hands opened in front of the prisoner. "It's alright ... I'm not going to hurt you, come on, we have to work quickly ..."

_What do you_... "… want?" the first part was lost with Severus's broken voice, mouth dry as old paper, his hands trembled as he commanded them to fall away, to surrender any chance of protecting himself.

The man bent down and helped Severus up, arms around him, "It's okay, I have you now ... do you recognize me?"

Severus mumbled into the man who held him, "… refuge …"

The man who carried emaciated Severus walked to a corner, counting stones down from the ceiling before he pushed one of them in and turned the stone. Just beside where they stood, the floor dissolved and a long, dark passageway was revealed. "Close ... quiet now, love ... we're almost safe" the young man took his wand and aimed at the table in the middle of the room, "Avada Kedavra-" the table was suddenly blown apart into flames as the two men escaped into the passage, deadly fire consuming everything in the room ... even the planted bodies that were laying in one dark corner behind some boxes of shackles.

Severus's heart almost exploded into flames upon hearing the killing curse. His hands barely obeyed, but barely was still enough to cling onto the man who seemed to have plans beyond his current understanding. 

"Lumos ..." the man carried Severus in his arms quickly, running with him, "hold on ... hold on ... tight." The long, damp tunnel was coated in rocks, the earth walls collapsed twenty feet after them as they fled. One minute and thirty seconds later, Regulus Black climbed out of the earth, lifted Severus and set him onto a smooth, wooden floor, climbing out after him and slamming a hatch shut over the passage just as rumbling clay and rock swarmed to fill it.

There was light, natural light. Severus instinctively moved a hand to cover his face, to shield his eyes; still unaware of his savior. But his heart raced and he panted as if he had just run, visibly in his sunken chest.

"Severus? Severus ... darling ..." A shape moved over him to block out the light and Severus was lifted into strong arms again.  
  
"… refuge …" Severus repeated, as if this were in the old times, when a man being chased by a mob could bang on the door of a church and be granted sanctuary, no matter his crime.

"Just hang on, one more time, promise ... promise you won't let go, alright?" Regulus's hood had fallen back and his deep blue eyes looked into Severus's sunken black ones. "Hold on once more and you can sleep in a bed, I won't leave you ..."

Severus looked to the man familiarly, "… know … you." 

Regulus walked quickly, removing his cloak with one hand, throwing it into the fire in the fireplace and watching it incinerate before he covered them both with a light, see through sheet, that wasn't really a sheet at all. "Yes," he whispered, slipping his feet into shoes that were fastened to large wooden blocks. "You know me darling ... you know me very well, and I know you ..." Regulus carried Severus out under the cloak towards an abandoned watering can in the middle of a field, the bizarre footwear sinking into the ground under their combined weight. They drew nearer and nearer to the portkey, "Hold on ..." Regulus crouched with Severus in his arms.

Severus bowed his head down to his chest, eyes resting pleasantly on the sight of the man's neck, _know you._

Regulus held his precious cargo tightly as he reached out and grabbed the portkey. They landed on a mattress in another dim room.

Severus gasped sharply at the shock and abrupt end of the trip, his hands barely able to hold on.

The smell of food filled the air and the room was warm. Severus was lifted again, "You did so well ... perfectly, really ... poor darling ..." Regulus carried him through well-appointed, dimly lit rooms to a luxurious, beautiful smelling bathroom with a tub full of warm water and deep, plentiful towels.

Though Severus was silent, the corners of his eyes were dripping small, rare rivers of tears, "... Regulus." He breathed the name, finally associating a name with the man he recognized.

He set the newly freed man down into a large, soft chair with a blanket, kneeling and smiling at him, "Yes ... Yes, Severus, it's me ..." Regulus's eyes were brimming as well as he took Severus's appearance in completely. "Oh ... Oh ... you're alive ... thank gods, thank gods ..." the pureblood heir held both of Severus's thin hands in his own and raised them, kissing his knuckles.

Severus just stared at the young pureblood, he didn't make a sound, just tears, which hammered in his ears as they fell into his lap, _I was worth saving._

Regulus brushed the tears off of Severus's thin face gently, "Darling ... my darling, I've missed you so much ..." One hand went to Severus's filthy robe, opening it gently, "I just want to get this off of you so you can have a bath, alright? Is that alright?"

This was cruel, the illusion was cruel. Severus reached a shaking hand to Regulus's face, attempting to brush away the image that was only in his mind.

Regulus smiled a little, then held Severus's hand to his own cheek. "You're here ..."

Severus's eyes narrowed on the illusion, before he passed out; head falling back into the chair, lips parted enough for him to breathe. He had feared that should his mind turn to madness, it would turn to dark and painful thoughts, and yet here he was, this lovely dream, with Regulus, his sweet prince, his angel of mercy. It was suddenly peaceful now, warm and comforting and heavily. Dream or reality, his mind would make it one in the same. He was safe, at last.

**Author's Note:**

> co-authored. originally written for thestralskinphoenixtears


End file.
